Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar

For other people named Muhammad Ali, see Muhammad Ali (disambiguation).

Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar
Shah of Persia
Reign	1907-1909
Full Name	Mohmmad Ali Shah
Born	21 June 1872(1872-06-21)
Birthplace	Amol, Persia
Died	5 April 1925(1925-04-05) (aged 52)
Place of death	Sanremo, Italy
Predecessor	Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar
Successor	Ahmad Shah Qajar
Dynasty	Qajar Dynasty
Religious beliefs	Shia Islam

Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar (Persian: محمدعلی شاه قاجار) (21 June 1872 – 5 April 1925, San-Remo) was the Shah of Persia from 8 January 1907 to 16 July 1909.

Biography

He was against the constitution that was ratified during the reign of his father, Mozzafar-al-Din Shah. In 1907 Mohammad Ali dissolved Majles (Iranian parliament/National assembly) and declared the Constitution abolished because it was contrary to Islamic law.^[1] He bombarded the Majles with the military and political support of Russia and Britain.^[2] In July 1909, constitutional forces marched from Rasht to Tehran led by Mohammad Vali Khan Sepahsalar Khalatbari Tonekaboni, deposed the Shah, and re-established the constitution. On 16 July 1909, the Majles voted to place Mohammad Ali Shah's 11 year old son, Ahmad Shah on the throne. However, he abdicated following a new Constitutional Revolution and he was remembered as a symbol of dictatorship.

He fled to Odessa, Russia (present day Ukraine). Mohammad Ali plotted his return to power from Odessa. In 1911 he landed at Astarabad, Iran, but his forces were defeated.^[1] Mohammad Ali Shah fled to Russia, then in 1920 to Constantinople and later to San Remo, Italy, where he died 5 April 1925 (bur. Shrine of Imam Husain, Karbala, Iraq). Every shah of Iran since Mohammad Ali Shah has died in exile.

His son and successor, Ahmad Shah Qajar was the last ruler in the Qajar dynasty.^[3]

Honours

• Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold of Austria-1900
• Knight of the Order of St. Andrew of Russia-1905
• Knight of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky of Russia-1905
• Knight of the Order of the White Eagle of Russia-1905
• Knight of the Order of Saint Stanislaus, 1st Class of Russia-1905
• Knight of the Order of St. Anna, 1st Class of Russia-1905
• Exalted Order of the House of Osman of Turkey-1905
• Grand Cross of the Legion d'Honneur of France-1907

Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar with Mirza Mohammad Ebrahim Khan, the Moavin al-Dowleh, and Company

A 2000 Dinar/2 Qiran coin of Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar era

Children

Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar had eight children from two marriages. From his first wife he had one son. From his second marriage to Princess Malekeh Jahan daughter of Kamran Mirza Nayeb es-Saltaneh, he had seven children. The oldest child, Gholam Hossein Mirza, died in infancy.

• From Robabeh Khanoum Malih-e Saltaneh
  • Prince Hossein Ali Mirza E'tezad Saltaneh

• From Malakeh Jahan daughter of Kamran Mirza
  • Prince Gholam Hossein Mirza, died in infancy]
  • Prince Soltan Ahmad Shah (21 January 1898, Tabriz-27 February 1930, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Paris, France)
  • Prince Mohammad Hassan Mirza (20 February 1899, Tabriz -7 January 1943, Maidenhead, England)
  • Prince Soltan Mahmoud Mirza (15 October 1905, Tehran-2 July 1988, Évian-les-Bains, France)
  • Prince Soltan Majid Mirza (7 January 1907, Tehran-24 May 1986, Paris, France)
  • Princess Khadijeh (1900, Tabriz-1956, Tehran, Iran)
  • Princess Assieh (1908, Tehran-1953, Isfahan, Iran)

See also

• Persian Constitutional Revolution
• Qajar Dynasty

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Donzel, Emeri “van” (1994). Islamic Desk Reference. ISBN 9004097384.  p. 285-286
2. ^ BBC Persian
3. ^ Soltan Ali Mirza Kadjar, 'Mohammad Ali Shah: The Man and the King', in: Qajar Studies. Travellers and Diplomats in the Qajar Era. Journal of the International Qajar Studies Association, volume VII, 2007.

External links

• Portrait of Mohammad Ali Shah
• Portrait in Library of Congress collection
• Shah's palace in Odessa, Ukraine
• Photos of Qajar kings

Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar Qajar Dynasty Born: 21 June 1872 Died: 5 April 1925
Regnal titles
Preceded by Mozaffar al-Din Shah Qajar	Shah of Persia 1907-1909	Succeeded by Ahmad Shah Qajar

Persondata
Name	Qajar, Mohammad Ali Shah
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	21 June 1872
Place of birth	Tabriz, Persia
Date of death	5 April 1925
Place of death	Sanremo, Italy